Airport property on agenda at Winterport

WINTERPORT — What do townspeople want to do with the town’s Winterport Airport property?

The town’s Conservation Committee will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1, with townspeople, and in particular, residents of the airport area, to discuss and plan for community use of that land.

Today the Winterport Airport is used only in summer months for Sunday drag racing, but during World War II it served as an emergency backup strip for Dow Air Force Base in Bangor.

It has been years since commercial or private planes set down on the runway on a regular basis, although occassionally a plane has been spotted making a brief landing, said Lou Deckers, a member of the Conservation Committee.

Back in 1990 there was some discussion about creating an industrial park at the airport site, but that idea was dropped, said Deckers, because there were no utilities such as water, sewer and electricity available and the land did not lend itself to industrial park development.

The only thing that could be done for the field, Deckers said, would be to repaved and convert it for private rather than commercial aircraft use.

Although it is not open to private aircraft, the National Guard uses the field occassionally for training exercises for helicopters, he said.

The old runways and grass apron, as well as road frontage on the Boston Road and Route 139 have commercial possibilities. The committee is interested in community comment on limited commercial development.

Current uses include the storage for the town’s salt and sand and the new transfer station and recycling center.

The property contains 368 acres of woodland, 107 acres of airfield and fields, in additon to a brook and a six-acre wetland.

Tentatively, the committee has established use priorities as recreational, wildlife management and forestryr.

The town’s Conservation Committee is in the process of developing a forestry managment plan for the property.

The committee hired Ken Strickland, a professional forester, from Monroe, to develop the forestry management plan.

Winterport officials estimate the value of the 368 acres of woodlands, which have 4,235 cords of wood plus 89,830 feet of various wood products, is $46,392.75.

According to Deckers, the $46,392 figure represents what the value of the wood products would be if the town went in and strip cut all the trees. They have no intention of doing that, he said. There would only be selective cutting every 10 years and it would be designed mainly to enhance the hardwood growth. By bringing up the hardwood growth and clearing out the brush, they open up grazing areas for deer and woodcock and enhance the oak and ash growth. Deckers looks upon the land as a real legacy for the community.

The committee’s objective for the land is to enhance this property to put it to its best use, mainly for hunting and snowmobile trails, said Deckers.

The town will apply for Waldo County Soil Conservation Service cost-share funds for the plan.

However, before the committee proceeds any further, it wants to hear from the residents and property owners around the airport area.